Pipe hooks

ABSTRACT

A hand-tool for carrying a section of irrigation pipe which includes a pair of hooks held at spaced points along the pipe section for supporting the pipe. Each hook has a portion in which the pipe is loosely received. When the hooks are canted with respect to the pipe, the receiving portion of each hook grips the pipe and holds it against rotation about its longitudinal axis. A method of carrying a length of pipe, including the steps of placing a pair of hooks about a pipe section, holding the pipe against rotation about its longitudinal axis and lifting the pipe while continuously holding the same.

United States Patent 9 Snell [451 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] PIPE HOOKS Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry [5 7] ABSTRACT A hand-tool for carrying a section of irrigation pipe which includes a pair of hooks held at spaced points along the pipe section for supporting the pipe. Each hook has a portion in which the pipe is loosely received. When the hooks are canted with respect to the pipe, the receiving portion of each hook grips the pipe and holds it against rotation about its longitudinal axis.

A method of carrying a length of pipe, including the steps of placing a pair of hooks about a pipe section, holding the pipe against rotation about its longitudinal axis and lifting the pipe while continuously holding the same.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PIPE HOOKS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a hand-tool and method for carrying a section of pipe. More particularly, this invention relates to a pipe carrying hand-tool which prevents a carried section of pipe from rotating about its longitudinal axis and the method of using the same.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are many situations in the field where it is desirable to move an irrigation pipe section from one location to another. Very often, the size and weight of the pipe and the distance which it is to be moved to is such that one man is able to do it without heavy equipment.

Frequently, there is a riser extending perpendicularly from the pipe section having a sprinkler head at the end thereof. If the pipe section is allowed to rotate about its longitudinal axis while being carried, the sprinkler head will hit the ground damaging the-head and riser.

To the best of my knowledge, carrying tools have never been used to permit one man to move irrigation pipe sections. Carrying tools which are available for such use have moving parts and are relatively expensive. See for example U. S. Pat. No. 2,819,111.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple hand-tool for carrying a section of pipe whereby the pipe is held against rotation about its longitudinal axis and a method of using the same. Accordingly, there is provided a pair of hooks spaced along a pipe section for supporting the pipe at two points therealong. Each hook has a portion in which the pipe is loosely received. The pipe is held against rotation about its longitudinal axis when each hook is canted with respect to the pipe.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the pipe receivingportion is U-shaped and has a bight portion joining two leg portions which extend therefrom. The leg portions include a lower leg portion which underlies a pipe upon which the pipe rests by gravity and anupper leg portion which overlies the pipe. The leg portions are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the pipe. When the hooks are canted with respect to the pipe, the leg portions engage the sides of the pipe thereby holding the pipe against rotation about its longitudinal axis. The hook also includes a handle portion connected to the pipe receiving portion. A con'- nection portion extending from the upper leg portion connects the handle portion to the pipe receiving portion.

A section of pipe is carried by the pipe hooks by first, placing the hooks about the pipe at points spaced along the length thereof; second, holding the pipe against rotation along its longitudinal axis by canting the hooks so that the leg portions engage opposite sides of the pipe; and third, lifting the hooks and the pipe therein while continuously holding the pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a man carrying a section of pipe employing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a pipe hook;

FIG. 3 is an edge view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a section of pipe 10 carried by a man employing a pair of identical hooks, generally designated 12, which are spaced along the pipe section 10. The hooks 12 support the pipe 10 at two points therealong.

Irrigation pipe sections are normally either 3 or 4 inch lateral pipe, although they might, in some circumstances, be of 6 or 8 inch diameter. The standard length of each pipe section is 40 feet. The weight of a standard length of pipe section according to its diameter is approximately as follows: 3 inch pipe 30 pounds; 4 inch pipe 40 pounds; 6 inch pipe pounds; and 8 inch pipe 70 pounds.

At one end of the pipe section 10 there is a sprinkler head 14 at the end of a riser 15 extending perpendicularly from the pipe 10. The riser 15 is normally 1 inch in diameter and 12 inches in length, although an 18 inch riser is used on some occasions. The approximate weight of the sprinkler head 14 and a 1 foot riser 15 is 1 pound. The riser 15 is constructed of fairly light material. Consequently, if the pipe 10, which is usually wet and slippery, should rotate in the hands of a person moving it, causing the sprinkler head 14 to strike the ground, the riser 15 is often damaged. The hooks 12 support the pipe 10 and restrain it against rotation about its longitudinal axis so that they prevent this from occurring.

As best seen in FIG. 2, each hook 12 has a semicircular portion, generally designated 16, in which the pipe 10 is received (FIGS. 3 and 4), a connecting portion 18 extending from the receiving portion 16 and a handle portion 20 extendinggenerally at right angles from the connecting portion 18. The diameter of the semi-circular receiving portion 16 is somewhat greater than the diameter of thepipe 10 so that the pipe is initially received loosely in the receiving portion 16.

Each hook 12 is planar and is formed from a length of metal rod as by bending. Although the receiving portion 16 is shown in the drawings as being semi-circular, any configuration which is generally ,U-shaped can be employed to practice this invention. For convenience of discussion, the receiving portion is defined as including a pair of spacedlegs 22 and 24 joined by a bight 26.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pipe 10 rests by gravity upon leg 22 which underlies the pipe. Leg 24 is seen to overlie the pipe when the pipe is received in the receiving portion 16. As was stated previously, the legs 22 and 24 are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the pipe 10. For a 4 inch pipe section, the diameter of each hook 12 is approximately 4 V4 inches.

When the hooks 12 are canted with respect to the pipe 10, legs 22 and 24 engage the sides of the pipe as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The engagement of the legs 22 and 24 with the sides of the pipe 10 not only supports the pipe so that it may be lifted off the ground, but also holds the pipe against rotation about its longitudinal axis. When carried in this position, a pipe may be transported from one location to another in the field without rotation which might damage the riser l5.

The angular extent of thearc of the receiving portion 16 is somewhat greater than 180 so that the ends of the legs 22 and 24 extend beyond the points of contact between the legs and the top and bottom of pipe 10.

1 be conveniently carried. When the riser 15 is in a safe position, the handles 20 of the hooks 12 are grasped. The handles 20 are pulled toward the user thereby canting the hooks 12 with respect to the pipe 10. When the hooks 12 are canted, the pipe is simultaneously gripped and held against any rotation about its longitudinal axis. After the hooks 12 have been canted, the pipe 10 is lifted off the ground and carried in the manner shown in FIG. 1. ln'this position, the hooks 12 form extensions onto the arms of the user.

I claim:

5 l. A pair of hooks for carrying a length of pipe in a generally horizontal attitude, each hook comprising:

an elongate member having a generally planar and generally arcuate segment with an angular extent greater than forming a U-shaped portion with a pair of spaced legs joined by a bight, said legs being spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of said pipe to embrace the pipe and engage opposite sides thereof when said member is canted with respect to said pipe, said member having a connecting portion extending from one of said legs in the plane of said U-shaped portion and in a direction generally at right angles to the leg, said member further having an elongate handle portion extending from said connecting portion generally parallel to said legs and in the plane of said U-shaped portion, the other of said spaced legs having its end extending beyond a line drawn perpendicular to the elongate handle portion and passing through the center of said generally arcuate segment, said length of pipe being supported and held against rotation by said pair of hooks spaced along the lengthof the pipe and having the handle portions uppermost and canted toward each other. i

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1. A pair of hooks for carrying a length of pipe in a generally horizontal attitude, each hook comprising: an elongate member having a generally planar and generally arcuate segment with an angular extent greater than 180* forming a U-shaped portion with a pair of spaced legs joined by a bight, said legs being spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of said pipe to embrace the pipe and engage opposite sides thereof when said member is canted with respect to said pipe, said member having a connecting portion extending from one of said legs in the plane of said U-shaped portion and in a direction generally at right angles to the leg, said member further having an elongate handle portion extending from said connecting portion generally parallel to said legs and in the plane of said U-shaped portion, the other of said spaced legs having its end extending beyond a line drawn perpendicular to the elongate handle portion and passing through the center of said generally arcuate segment, said length of pipe being supported and held against rotation by said pair of hooks spaced along the length of the pipe and having the handle portions uppermost and canted toward each other. 